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I use Panda Anti-Virus that my Mother bought ages ago... and well I'm getting rid of Windows tomorrow as my Mothers going to install SuSE 10. so anyway here's the questions... =)
Do I still need to install Panda or has Linux got an Anti Virus Program as good as Panda on it or what??? =)
panda? never heard of it. there are virus scanners for linux like clamav, and actually avg do one too, but there is much less need at present for virus protection under linux, as of course no windows virus can harm linux systems.
Generally, software compiled for one OS won't run on another. There are exceptions, mainly where an OS has been specifically designed for binary compatibility (Linux is compatible with Unix binaries... I think. ReactOS is being designed for Windows compatibility)
If you really want, you could probably run some viruses over WINE, and a virus scanner. But you probably don't want to do that . Anyway, I'm not sure to what extent the virus would be potent over WINE (I don't know how much power WINE is allowed. It probably is not allowed many permissions by default to avoid this sort of thing) so it might not be a risk even then.
Linux may be generally more secure than Windows, but you still ought to use a firewall- better safe than sorry- and a virus scanner run once in a while. As stated there are free virus scanners available for Linux.
In my humble opinion, the main reason for the proliferation of viruses in the Windows environment is that nearly everyone out there runs as an all-powerful Administrator, with no passwords anywhere. Everything in the world is read/writeable; every registry-key can be modified.
When you move to Linux, per contra, you're probably running most things as "an ordinary user." Most system files aren't writeable to you. There is no "Registry." And this distinction makes all the difference in the world.
Anti-virus programs try to intercept programs before they get a chance to run. I don't think that's realistic; never have. You can't prevent a program from trying to run. But you certainly can prevent it from succeeding. If that file is read-only, well, "that's it."
Virus programs, for all their nefarious and all-powerful reputation, are really just opportunists. In the Windows world, nearly every door and window in the neighborhood is standing wide-open, with valuables in plain sight. (It doesn't have to be this way, mind you, but it is!) So the viruses cart off truckloads of jewels while the computer owners slap ineffectually at them.
Generally speaking Linux does not get as many viruses.
However, it's a good idea to have an anti-virus program. There are many. Panda may even have a Linux version. But Clam is good and so is AVG. You can google Linux: Anti-virus and check out the results.
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